Process for the production of nitric acid or nitric oxid from atmospheric air.



No. 873,891. v PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

\ H. PAULING. v PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NITRIC ACID 0R NITRIC OXID FROM ATMOSPHERIGAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1906.

HARRY PAULING, OF GELSENKIR SAURE-INDUSTRIE-GESELLSGHAFT, G. M.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE? a, or GELSENKIROHEN, GERMANY.

CHEN, GERMANY, Asslenon TO THE FIRM OF SALPE TERl-h PROCESS non 'rrm PRODUCTION OF NITRIC ACID on NITRIC oxm non n ruosrmmm AIR.

. Specification of Hatters Patent. Application filed Apri16'1906. BerialNo. 310,298.

iatented Dee. 17, 1607.

Tofall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY PAULING, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of 84 Wilhelmstrasse, in Gelsenkirchen, in I the Province of Westphalia in the Kingdom I of Prussia, German Empire, have invented i certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Production of Nitric Acid or Nitric OXid from Atmospheric Air, off which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to processes for the i production of nitric acid or nitric oXid from atmospheric air. p

It has beenpro osed in connection with 1 such processes, to lieat air, or a mixture of air with oxygemto a temperature of about 1200' 0., and then to immediately cool down l such heated air by injecting passive or indifferent liquids or blowing passive gases into the air.

According to this invention a cooled off i portion of the gases of reaction, that is to i say of air that has previously undergone the heating and cooling before mentioned, is l employed as a means for cooling the succeeding quantity of air which has been heated to i the aforesaid temperature, the object being to prevent the nitrogeneous' gases into I which the air is converted by heat from getting rarefied by foreign cooling means of the nature above mentioned, as has hitherto been necessary.

The accompanying drawing shows a diagram of an apparatus adapted for effecting 3 my )rocess.

T e air to be treated is conducted by a j ipe 1 into a device 2 whichfissuitably heated so that the air it receives is converted into nitrogenous gases.

On. leaving this device these gases undergo at the place marked 3 the action of a cooled ofi' portionof the gases of reaction before mentioned. The latter arrive from a pipe 4, .which the gases enter on leaving the device 2, and through-a pipe 5 comprising a suitable cooling device 6 part of the gases of'reaction which pass along i the pipe 4 to enterthe pipe 5, while the 0001-" j ing device 6 imparts a properly low tomto enable it to act as a cooling means. The .mam current passing along the ipe 4is conperature to such branched current of gases and a fanor the lilre 7. The latter causesducted into a suitable device8 or condensa tion, where it is converted into nitric acid. The waste gases, which arefree from'nitric oxids, leave the device 8 by apipe 9. i

What I claim is: v

Theherein described process, consisting in heating air to a temperature of about 1200'. C. and then immediately blowing into the air thus heated a cooled off viously heated to the sai temperature and then immediately cooled down, substan: tially as set forth.

In witness whereof I havehereunto signed 5 my name this 23d day of February 1906, in

the presence of two subscribing witness'es HARRY PAULING. -Witnesses:

ULYSSES J. BYWATER, GEORG KoNNo'n.

(portion of air pre- 

